Senior Communications Specialist
Salary

Median pay for Senior Communications Specialists in the United States lies in the neighborhood of $64K annually. Residence is the biggest factor affecting pay for this group, followed by years of experience. Nearly all receive medical and dental insurance and a strong majority get vision insurance. The majority of workers are highly satisfied with their job. Most Senior Communications Specialists survey respondents are women (74 percent). The data for this snapshot was collected from individuals who took PayScale's salary survey.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

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Job Description for Senior Communications Specialist

A senior communications specialist works to promote an organization and its products, services, and message in a consistent, targeted manner. Persons with this job title may work as the head of the marketing, advertising, or media relations departments within a company. Dedicated public relations firms and ad companies also typically employ senior communications specialists as well.

A senior-level executive, the communications specialist typically manages a communications department and assists in developing a consistent branding image. The specialist and his or her direct reports interact with marketing and advertising departments to help ensure that initiatives stay on message. They also write and edit press release, ensuring that the information released is presented accurately and as intended. The senior communications specialist may act as a point person for the media, and they may prepare other employees to serve as spokespeople as well. In any event, the senior communications specialist facilitates this interaction for actively seeking out and directing TV, radio, print, and web-based communication.

The senior communications specialist is also the main contact facilitator in cases of negative events or crisis management. They handles related media inquiries and work with other senior management to formulate responses. The specialist often develops talking points and related strategies to work through the detrimental events and best represent the organization in a positive light.

A bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or a related field is required for this position. To be considered for this senior position, a candidate must typically have five to 10 years of marketing communications, media relations, or public relations experience as well. The senior communications specialist should typically expect to work in an office environment during standard business hours, although overtime and travel may be required.

Senior Communications Specialist Tasks

Create and drive the internal social media strategy.

Track, monitor, and report on metrics for blogs, videos, and websites.

Coordinate the employee intranet page and video assignments across the division.

Design and deliver internal communication plans for driving education and awareness within the company.

Common Career Paths for Senior Communications Specialist

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Senior Communications Specialists who take on a higher-level position such as Communications Manager may get paid a little bit less in that new role, as Communications Managers on average bring home $58K.

Senior Communications Specialist Job Listings

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Popular Skills for Senior Communications Specialist

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Senior Communications Specialists report using a large range of skills on the job. Most notably, skills in Email Marketing, Editing, Technical Writing, and Corporate Communications are correlated to pay that is above average, with boosts between 3 percent and 5 percent. Skills that are correlated to lower pay, on the other hand, include Strategic Planning, Graphic Design, and Video Editing. Most people experienced in Corporate Communications also know Project Management and Media / Public Relations.

Pay by Experience Level for Senior Communications Specialist

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For Senior Communications Specialists, level of experience appears to be a somewhat less important part of the salary calculation — more experience does not correlate to noticeably higher pay. Those in the early stages of their career can expect to make around $60K; however, individuals with five to 10 years of experience bring in $66K on average — a distinctly larger sum. Senior Communications Specialists with one to two decades of relevant experience report an average salary of approximately $68K. Old hands boasting more than twenty years of relevant experience report pay that is more or less commensurate with that extensive experience; average earnings for this group come out to approximately $75K.

Pay Difference by Location

Home to some of the best pay for Senior Communications Specialists, New York offers exceptional salaries, 19 percent above the national average. Senior Communications Specialists can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like San Francisco (+15 percent), Dallas (+13 percent), Washington (+12 percent), and Minneapolis (+11 percent). Those in the field find the lowest salaries in Pittsburgh, 11 percent below the national average. Not at the bottom but still paying below the median are employers in Houston and St. Paul (10 percent lower and 5 percent lower, respectively).